


Ten (Plus) Years Gone

by HousesofthePagey



Category: Led Zeppelin
Genre: M/M, jimbert - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-05 16:06:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11016828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HousesofthePagey/pseuds/HousesofthePagey
Summary: 2017.After the music world was rocked by another unfortunate loss Robert Plant decided that it was time to build a bridge over the rift that had formed between him and his former guitarist Jimmy Page.





	1. Changes Fill My Time [Robert POV]

**Author's Note:**

> Not quite sure how many chapters this will be or what the rating will end up at when I finish. Either way I hope you enjoy it. Chapter lengths will vary.

Unopened emails. Letters with no reply. Calls that went straight to a voicemail where the inbox was full... These were the things Robert Plant had been dealing with the last few weeks whenever he tried reaching out to his long time friend Jimmy Page. Sure the two had not been in touch anywhere near as much as he would have liked lately but life happened and the two men were incredibly busy as they always had been.   
  
Still, he ached to hear Jimmy's voice or read some sort of message, even a passing one, knowing that the other man was alright. It had been far too long and he knew Jimmy was in a rough spot. It seemed like him and Scarlett were either on the outs if they weren't there already. This of course came right in the midst of the music community losing someone Jimmy in particular had been particularly close to in Chris Cornell. It hit them all particularly hard because it seemed to be an epidemic that haunted the music community in particular; rising up when it was the least of all expected and striking close to home in all their hearts.  
  
Since he happened to be in London anyways Robert took the liberty of going to visit Jimmy at his home there. He had heard from an old friend that Jimmy was at spotted at his residence there the last few days so he knew he wouldn't miss him in passing. That was how he found himself at the guitarist's London residence, gingerly knocking on the door. “Jimmy would you please answer the door?” His cell went straight to voicemail which he hung up after pocketing. Robert was about to give up hope and leave, thinking to himself that it was all a stupid mistake. Jimmy had never handled death well and always became even more of a hermit when it hit close to home. Hell, when they lost Bonzo he didn’t hear from his friend for what…months at least?

Running a hand through his still wild blonde and gray mane of hair Robert let out a weighted sigh, turning to proceed down the steps. It was just classic Robert to believe that his peaceful and sunshiney nature could penetrate the overcast sky of dark clouds that hovered around his friend constantly. Perhaps they had drifted further apart than he realized. He lamented how distant they had become and he tried his best to stay in touch although he would readily admit to anyone he could have done more, tried a little harder, visited more often. He was, from what he knew of, the busier out of the two. And it wasn’t like Scarlett hated Robert so there was zero issue there. So the singer found himself retreating to his car but at an alarmingly slow rate. He hadn’t even noticed that droplets of rain had started to fall when his cellular vibrated twice in his pocket, taking it out and feeling a twinge of relief and panic all at once.

It was Jimmy.

 _'The door is unlocked...'_ read the first text followed by a second sent closely after. _'…Please…don’t go…'_


	2. In the midst I think of you, and how it used to be [Jimmy POV]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unintentionally written from Jimmy's POV only. This should change as things progress.

Life had spiraled into a negative place rather quickly. He had the constant debacle with his childish neighbor who seemed hell bent on turning him into the crochety old man on the street with all of his ridiculous projects. Then there was the musical funk he seemed to have fallen into. Originally his plan had been to dust off the strings that year and get right back into things, perhaps even touring, but for whatever reason that all fell to pieces.  Jimmy knew he reached a new internal low when David Coverdale flat out mentioned in an interview that he was sorry for Jimmy. Not working on anything new or touring could be and was slow torture for the guitarist who always had his hand in one or two cookie jars at the very least. David offered to have Jimmy join him on any projects, but his heart just wasn’t in it. Not at the moment at least.

He took time to travel to the States for his then girlfriend’s poetry run. Jimmy adored Scarlett and thought he was genuinely happy with her but it seemed he was still stuck on the past. It wasn’t fair, he thought, to hold her back when he couldn’t commit his heart or any part of him completely to her. She tried to persuade him that it was alright but again to him it wasn’t right. She had a budding career and he wished her the best and to keep in touch. Scarlett had given him such a distraught look Jimmy wished he could have locked himself away forever. Instead he watched with bottle in hand from behind a curtained window as she took her things, loaded up her car and drove off.

Jimmy found himself in the same spot that day. His Les Paul rested on the couch of his study, the amplifier giving off a dull hum as he had set it down for a break from playing, picking up the bottle of Jack Daniels on his desk and taking a healthy swig of it. He had never really been one to waste the time on glasses and ice and all of that nonsense although he had switched to ordering his drinks that way after Zeppelin. That was a few years after Zeppelin. The first few after the band parted ways were incredibly hazy. They were hazy due to the fact Jimmy had locked himself away mentally, choosing to bury himself in musical projects one after another, alcohol and cocaine here and there.

The last of those vices he quit completely by the mid ‘80’s; not wanting to go down the road he had before with it. This time he knew it was a demon he couldn’t defeat and being pretty much alone in fighting it he knew he wasn’t strong enough. He had tried the game of love a few times over and while he never regretted any of his relationships or his children there was a nagging feeling deep inside of him that he couldn’t shake. Something deeply rooted in the past. Someone he tried to bury his feelings for.

....Someone that apparently had come looking for him.

The guitar was almost nestled back around his neck for another round of playing when he heard the knock on the door. He didn’t have to venture down the stairs to figure out who was calling on him either. One of his windows happened to be open and he could smell Robert’s cologne wafting on the breeze. Not expecting to see his friend or anyone else that day Jimmy had not mentally prepared himself for human interaction. So to Jack he went, downing another healthy swig of it as he stared at his cell phone in his hands.

A few months before they set out on their North American tour in ‘77 he invited Robert over to talk. He couldn’t do the lies anymore. It wasn’t right. Robert was a happily married man with children. How was any of it fair to _them_? The last thing Jimmy wanted to do was break up Robert’s marriage and betray and hurt his sweet children or Maureen. When he broached the subject he saw the heartbreak in those soft blue eyes and Robert left without a word. Neither spoke of it again and moved on from it in their own separate ways (which for Jimmy was where his heavy use of drugs came into play).

 _Just send the damn text_ , he thought to himself, his body resting against the open window as he took in that familiar smell and the flood of memories that came with it: whispers when they thought no one was listening, the accidental touches that lead to the intentional ones backstage, in hidden corridors...in their hotel rooms. Taking a sharp breath in he grabbed another drink and looked out to see Robert almost in his car. _No, not again. Please don’t leave me again…_ In a state of panic he fired off two messages and set his phone, and the bottle of Jack, back on his desk before going back to the window, drawing it closed and burying his face in the black curtains.

 


	3. And though the course may change sometimes...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was no use putting it off for long. The invitation was there and they had to start talking sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always...Not quite sure how many chapters this will be or what the rating will end up at when I finish. Either way I hope you enjoy it. Chapter lengths will vary.
> 
> Kudos/Comments/Etc genuinely appreciated. xo

Robert pursed his lips as his eyes scanned the text messages from his friend, looking over each of the words over and over for what felt like an eternity to him and he was sure to Jimmy too. There was such a weighted sadness in every letter. The two men never quantity to provide quality and there was never more truth in it than there was right now. Volumes were written in such simple messages. Taking in a deep breath and wetting his lips the Golden God pocketed his phone and turned around to go to the door. His hand turned the knob tentatively at first before opening it completely and stepping inside.

To go inside Jimmy’s home, any of them really, was like stepping inside a space where the world came to a complete pause. Every time things were in the same place in the same manner as before with maybe minor differences here and there. Small things like appliances and the like were updated from what they had been when the properties were originally purchased but nothing major. The older man was a creature of habit and always had been. In a way it was charming and simply classic Jimmy Page and Robert took comfort in that.

It was also how he knew to find the other man in his study. Of course he wandered the other rooms alone, taking in the time to bring in all the memories of the home throughout the years but moving swiftly enough to not delay terribly. There was no sense in that. He had come here to reach out to the other man; not ignore him and ramble on throughout his home. He rested a hand on the banister railing, looking up the stairs to the second floor as if about to embark on some epic quest. In a way he was.

 

Quite some time had passed since they last spoke in great detail past the basic pleasantries and there was no idea what state the other man was going to be in. Drawing in a deep breath he ascended the stairs, this time making a direct path for the study. This time there was no pause when he rested his hand on the doorknob, letting himself in and shutting the door behind him, scanning the room until he saw the guitarist standing flush against that curtain. The only thing that made Jimmy stand out was his hair that was the color of a vibrant winter snow pulled back neatly as he tended to wear it those days.

Even with as gently as Robert opened the door and entered the room Jimmy felt his chest tighten with anticipation, every sound amplified by the beating of his heart in his ears. Really what it boiled down to was a simple visit from a friend, but when you had a storied history like the two men did nothing was ever just ‘simple’. No. Their meetings as of late were as complicated as the solos he played, ever changing and never the same twice. The silence hung heavy in the air and seemed to go on forever until Robert’s phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. Both men jumped a little, Robert silently cursing the ‘blasted device’ and turning silent mode on which brought a little chuckle out of the guitarist. Even to that day it seemed Robert was not a fan of technology that much.

 

“I hear you’re recording again,” Jimmy blurted out softly and cringed. What kind of awkward transition was that? You would think for someone who was great at interviews and public speaking he would have a better ice breaker than that. “I take that it’s going well?”

“That’s right,” came the smooth reply. You could hear the smile in Robert’s voice who apparently found it quite amusing in a sweet way the way Jimmy popped up that conversation. He never was good at spontaneous small talk as hard as he did try. “It is thank you very much for asking. Decided to give the States a spin for a bit. Change of scenery and all that.”

“And you’re back so soon?” Jimmy was dodging. They both knew it. But it was better to ease into the conversation that was about to drop then to just go headfirst.

“Had some things to take care of here in London. So I thought I would drop on by and see how you were. ” That first part was a lie. Well, mostly a lie. Robert had a certain tone he could never hide from Jimmy when they alone. Tentatively the singer moved across the room, a hand resting on the other man’s shoulder after giving it a gentle squeeze. He looked at his friend, a brief silence settling between them before he spoke up again. “How are you?”

 

 _There it is..._ He couldn't help but stiffen a bit under that touch, moving from under that had over to his desk, setting one hand down flat on it's surface, the other grabbing the bottle and taking a healthy drink of the whiskey still in it. _It’s all downhill from here..._


	4. ...Rivers always reach the sea.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to float up to the surface as Jimmy slowly takes down the walls he has helped fortify between him and Robert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: There are references to suicide attempts.

Jimmy had so many answers with such a broad variety he wasn’t sure where to start with his answer. He must have been taking a bit longer than expected to answer because the singer gently spoke his name a few times over, bringing him out of his thoughts. “No,” he whispered quietly, clearing his throat a bit from the emotion that he was forcing down with swigs of whiskey. Lying wasn’t something he could ever do with Robert and yet emotional vulnerability was something he wasn’t very good at either. It was a terrible dilemma.

So much had happened over the years and recently and Jimmy had to face that he wasn’t alright. He was very much the opposite. Seeing Robert again in such an intimate setting wasn’t anything he was planning for a long time coming if at all. Yet he had to wonder if Robert thought he hated the other man with how he put that wall up between them. At first it was for his own protection. He couldn’t hurt if he didn’t have access to what, realistically, was the source of his pain. As much as he cared for his friend and valued their friendship his turmoil stemmed from the past and no matter how hard he tried he just never was able to get past it.

 

 “Jimmy…” Robert started, the feeling of heartbreak setting in. He couldn’t shut Robert out, not yet. Why else would he plead for him not to go? He had to remember that Jimmy wanted him here or else he would never have texted him.

“It’s just… Things fell through with Scarlett, my doing not hers…” Jimmy paused, looking at the glass bottle in his hand that was practically empty. Bloody hell was he really that stressed over seeing Robert again? Finishing it off he pushed it to the side, his free hand moving to his face where his thumb and index finger rubbed at his temples. “And then losing Chris on the heels of that…” He took a sharp breath in, knowing he was dancing his way around the real issue at hand. The singer moved closer, not wanting to make any sudden movements or possibly upset Jimmy any further, tentatively placing his hand flat on the other man’s upper back.

 

 This time Jimmy brushed that hand away with his own, his eyes looking over the bewildered blues staring back at him. He couldn’t help it. He wasn’t drunk, far from it, but there were some things you needed liquid courage to approach and their history was part of it. “Do you honestly know how it feels Robert? To feel like you have been left behind? To feel like the world sees you as this musical god and yet the one thing you have craved your entire life has been completely out of your reach?”

 “Pagey I’m sorry but if I have done anything---” Robert had a feeling he knew exactly where this was headed and he also knew things could go terribly wrong terribly quickly. “Don’t you dare,” Jimmy snapped, his voice full of emotion. He looked as if Robert had slapped him which made them both feel worse. “You left Pagey behind decades ago…”

“I never left you behind.” His voice shook, unsure of where this attack was coming from. Jimmy never spoke to him this way and for a moment he wasn’t sure how to receive it. The last thing he ever wanted was for Jimmy to feel abandoned. “I’ve written letters, sent emails, called, texted...anything I could think of to keep in touch, to stay active in each others lives.”

 

 This was not how he wanted this conversation to take off, but there was just too much there between them for him to not go with what came naturally. Jimmy only hoped that when everything was finally out in the open the other man didn’t hate him for any of it. The fear of losing Robert completely was why he stayed silent for so very long whenever possible. Sucking in his lower lip he let out a harsh sigh and turned so his back was to the rather large mahogany desk, leaning against it more than he was sitting. How to go about what he needed to say? There was so much and he had already unfairly attacked his friend once…

 “Pagey--Jimmy...Please what in the world is wrong?” The Golden God was incredibly confused. Where exactly was this conversation going? Jimmy was clearly conflicted about something and was having a difficult time of verbalizing that but how could he help if he didn’t know what the underlying issue was. “Talk to me, please…”

 “It’s just too hard Robert. All of the pretending. Years of it. Acting as if nothing ever took place. Empty marriages to keep a warm bed, hoping that it grew into something more to fill this darkness that grows day by day threatening to successfully consume me.” Jimmy was rambling, but it was the only way he knew to get it all out.

Those last words weren’t wasted on the other man either which was evident by the look of concern that flooded his face. This time he grasped his friend firmly by the shoulders, his voice quivering. “Jimmy sure you can’t mean…”

“That I have tried to commit suicide? Yes. Not everyone can face the world with such a bright spirit as you do my dearest Percy…” The name sort of slipped out of his mouth, but he didn’t regret it despite the sadness in it. He continued on before Robert could reply, knowing if he didn’t things were going to go in a different direction than he was hoping for at least in the moment. “Don’t misunderstand. I love my children. Honestly I do. And I always have, but when there’s a void in your heart from a love unrequited it slowly chips at your soul until you’re left shattered and broken...Dazed...and confused…”


	5. Kind of makes makes me feel sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert finally realizes the weight Jimmy has been carrying all this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References to drug use, Bonham's passing. (RIP Bonzo)

Now he was throwing their music into the mix? What was Jimmy hinting at? He stared at the other man, who became suddenly tight-lipped. Typical James Patrick Page. Holing up and shutting him out at the apex of information, leaving the singer stranded with a lapful of nonsense. And then he heard the first few lines of that song play through his mind….

 

_Been dazed and confused for so long it’s not true. Wanted a woman, never bargained for you…_

 

Wait a bloody minute. It was simply impossible. Jimmy had moved on from Robert. He was absolutely sure of it. Their last big fight and the way the guitarist dismissed the whole incident afterwards was solid proof to him of that. And yet here Jimmy was talking about heartache and suicide and unrequited love… Sure Robert had been married all those years ago when initially they started exploring the idea of each other. Shortly after Jimmy was in a relationship himself, hence his daughter. He married Maureen originally out of obligation. She was a longtime friend, they had one too many drinks and thus Carmen had been born. It was only right to support her and their child. Did he love her? Certainly. She still remained a close friend and would forever be the mother of his children save for one.

But Jimmy…Jimmy was a different type of love. Years of discreet meetings when no one was looking or they could sneak away were paired with glances and touches innocent to the unsuspecting party but with great weight between the two of them. Homosexuality was much more condemned back then versus the way it was now and with Robert being a family man and then the band on top of that there was no way a public relationship ever could have happened. That much he knew Jimmy knew. They had conversations about it more than once. If Jones, Bonham or Grant ever suspected or caught on they never spoke a word of it to anyone, not even Robert and Jimmy. 

Suddenly it all made sense: Jimmy’s sudden self-deprecation, his constant need to be intoxicated, the drug use, the way he distanced himself from Robert and Jones after the loss of their dearest friend and drummer, the dead-ends attempts to reach out to the Jimmy... All of it went back to that fight.

 

“Pagey,” he whispered lightly. The other man went back to pet names so he felt this time it was safe to try it out and hopefully provide him with some comfort. “You have always had a special place in my heart no matter what was happening in our lives. To this day you’re still my best friend in the world and I still feel we’re as attached as we were from day one of meeting each other.”

“Then why don’t you love me?!” He had to know. Had Robert just been going through a phase? Was he simply exploring how he felt and he realized he was okay with flirting with men but the buck stopped there? Was it something about Jimmy? How he looked, his behavior, his personality?

“But you said—“

“I said that I didn’t want to destroy your home…your family environment Percy. Not once did I claim to stop loving you…But I should have realized it sooner. You could never love me. I could never give you the happiness you found in them as you rightfully should have. This has been my own undoing…My falling in love with you in the first place… I should have never kissed you that night nor should I have let us pursue something that would never come to pass… I should have—“

 

Before Jimmy could continue he found Robert leaning into him, one hand gripping his chin firmly while the other kept a firm hold on his shoulder. He kissed the white-haired man with more passion and meaning than he had ever kissed anyone because he needed Jimmy to understand. He needed this broken man to understand that he loved him and always had and that it was just as much on him for not breaking the ice on it sooner as it was on Jimmy. God did he hope he could help him understand. 


	6. Did you ever really want somebody...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, dearest Pagey. It's actually real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always kudos/comments are welcome and encouraged. xo

The last thing Jimmy was expecting in that moment was for Robert's lips to be attached to his own. The heavens only knew how much his heart had ached for that touch he hadn't felt in decades and yet he thought the last time it did was just that. The last time. Yet here they were, Jimmy baring his heart and soul to Robert and hoping that he didn't take them in his grasp and crush them into dust. The singer would never do it out of maliciousness; no, Robert was incapable of such things. It went against the man's core values. That didn't mean though he had to return the feelings Jimmy felt. Love wasn't, or at least shouldn't have been, an obligation for anyone.

 

Seconds and minutes felt like an eternity as they shared that kiss. Robert pulled away slowly when he felt his friend trembling under his touch in a way that was more out of fright than anything else. His soft blue eyes studied the lost green ones staring back at him and he could see Jimmy's mind, his beautiful mind that never shut off for anything, over-searching for answers for multiple scenarios. How he hadn't gone mad Robert would never understand. "You're not trying to think of a way to tell me that after all these years I've lost my touch at making you weak at the knees are you Pagey? If so please do let me down gently." The words he spoke had that whimsical, light playfulness to them that he was known for.

 

"What?" Jimmy whispered, closing his eyes and shaking his head. This wasn't real. He had more to drink than he originally thought. Or had he slipped off the wagon into something worse and was having a vivid hallucination like he used to? That pit of despair was ever-growing inside of him and he feared this time it would swallow him whole with no turning back if that were the case.

"Pagey... Look at me," the younger man sighed with concern, his grip on Jimmy's chin easing up a bit without letting go. When the other man complied he slipped his hand from the guitarist's chin to cupping his cheek, his thumb brushing over the cheekbone lightly. "Dear, sweet Jimmy. I cannot express enough how terribly sorry I am I put you through such torture all that time. No, no..before you say anything let me. Please," he spoke softly seeing that Jimmy opening his mouth to dispute that claim. "I was a terrible, horrid excuse of a best friend not seeing the correlation between our disagreement all time ago and your downward spiral. I assumed that because you didn't speak up that you were fine. I should have known better. You never were good at revealing your feelings, hell you wouldn't ever say anything when you had the simplest of colds, and here I was expecting you to come forward if something was actually wrong."

 

Somehow despite the words he heard falling from those  wonderful lips Jimmy was still under the impression that none of this was real. So he did the only thing he could think of off the top of his head to prove himself otherwise. He gripped pinched himself on the leg through his jeans, cursing when the sharp pain hit him. "Bloody hell! Why do people insist on doing that as a means of knowing if something is real or not?" It was a foolish thing and to be honest he couldn't believe he actually went and did it. Neither could Robert apparently because he was still holding Jimmy in that loving manner, but the guitarist could see a stifled snicker poking at the corners of the other man's lips. "Oh would you knock it off. Can't a man make a complete fool of himself and not have the sun laughing in his face about it?" Now he was confused and embarrassed. Wonderful.

"I'm sorry," Robert snickered, trying to keep it together. That whole moment was classic Jimmy Page; getting worked up over something just to be embarrassed because he felt something. It was honestly really sweet and Robert had always loved that about his moody, older friend. "But yes, dearest Pagey, this in fact is the real deal. I'm real. You're real. That kiss was real and so is this one." He moved in for another kiss that was more intense than the first and he smiled to himself when Jimmy actually relaxed into his arms and stopped trembling out of fear, simply easing into the moment. Suddenly they were transported back in time, the emotions they felt from those frantic, heated moments crashing down around them like the water from a levee finally breaking way.

Jimmy righted himself, letting his hands slip around the younger man's waist to keep him close. If he still wasn't convinced that what was happening at that moment to be real he was certainly just going with the flow of what happened. Better to enjoy something beautiful like that instead of it slipping through your fingers whether it was real or not. His fingertips rested on the hem of Robert's own jeans, tugging them just slightly enough so he could feel the bare skin underneath them. It didn't matter to him that they were older, that they both had filled out more, that they were greying or in his case snow white. In that moment they were just boys, feeling each other out, loving each other. God did he ever love Robert. More than he loved anything else in the world. Which coming from Jimmy Page was quite a bold statement.


	7. ...The best love you ever had.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jimmy and Robert find solace in each other with a comical appearance by John Paul Jones.

It was a well-known yet downplayed joke that Jimmy had always been married to music and his guitar first and that any one or thing came second in almost a mistress sort of role. For the majority of his life that wasn't a wrong statement unless you applied it to his children. He loved them more than anything and tried  his best, he hoped, to do right by them. But that was then and this was now and they were all grown with families of their own. Even with girlfriends here and there Jimmy felt utterly alone. Kissing Robert took all of that away. He felt safe and secure and at peace. This was right. This was how things were meant to be he was sure of it and it seemed that Robert felt that way too.

 Seconds turned into minutes which felt like hours. The longer they remained locked in that kiss the more Jimmy muscle memory took hold and the smaller the pit of despair became until it was completely gone. All he could feel was the warmth of Robert's love washing over him in waves and he never wanted it to end. He had the answer to the biggest question that had been gnawing at him for decades and the relief that came with it was indescribable. His hands slipped up under Robert's shirt, feeling over his lower torso with the gentle touch of his hands weathered from years of guitar playing. Jimmy played for hours upon hours daily, healthy or sick, which meant even with the best care even his hands would be a little worn. It didn't seem to bother Robert though who let out a soft, pleasured sound into their kiss, pulling away only when his lungs began screaming for air. 

 

It seemed like forever before either of them spoke, the two men catching their breath as they stared lovingly upon each other. Even without speaking out loud so much was being said in that silence and neither man could stop smiling. Finally Jimmy cleared his throat, drawing in the corner of his lower lip with his teeth and worrying it a bit like he had a tendency to do whenever he was nervous or fidgety. "Tell me your schedule is free... please..." An hour ago that inquiry might have hinted that Jimmy was worried Robert was going to leave the room and stroll down the stairs, out of the house and to his car and leaving without looking back. Now he was asking because he wanted to spend time with a man he hadn't seen, or felt, in too long. Robert smiled knowingly back at him, taking the older man by the hand. He led them out of the study and down to Jimmy's bedroom.

Little time was wasted with the removal of clothing or the flirting back and forth that found them ultimately in bed together in a way that was just as incredible, if not more so, than either of them remembered it to be. After quite some time Jimmy looked up to Robert as they were nestled together under the covers, catching up on the gaps of each others lives of the years they had missed being out of contact as they had been. This had always been one of the guitarist's favorite feelings; being wrapped up in Robert's arms in any way, talking about anything and everything and all there was in between. No one was more stimulating, intellectually or physically, as Robert was.

They stayed together like that for what felt like forever before there was a pounding at the main door. Robert started to move with the intention of throwing on at least a robe to investigate, but Jimmy stopped him. "If there's any fires anywhere we would have smelled them by now and if it's an emergency they can leave a damn voicemail." Robert laughed at this blunt, but valid statement, showering his lover with affectionate kisses. He was sitting up in bed with Jimmy leaning against them, sheets covering them from the waists down when out of nowhere Jimmy's bedroom doors flew open and there was John Paul Jones trying to catch his breath.

 

"Oh for the love of the Queen and everything holy will you two put some damn clothes on!" the bassist griped, shading his eyes with his hands until he turned around to face the way he came. He was hardly embarrassed at the sight having seen both men in their youth half-naked most of the time at best considering that was the style they all chose back in those years.

"I think we're quite overdressed considering our surroundings and since when were you the deviant to go breaking and entering into another man's home?" Jimmy inquired as both men in bed fell into a fit of laughter. He couldn't ever remember seeing Jones turn so red and they had done some pretty interesting things and made some lewd remarks back in their day to get their friend to a state of total embarrassment more than once over.

"Oh you think I just came over here for the hell of it? Your assistant called me losing her mind because not only could she not reach you neither could the other five people who tried to contact you before she reached out to me." Jones turned around, tossing Jimmy his phone which had been on silent. Robert whistled as Jimmy scrolled through the lock screen at all the missed calls and texts, earning him a slight elbow jab from the guitarist and a playful look of _zip it. "_ She called me after trying to come over here herself as a last resort. I didn't know what to expect."

 

Part of Jimmy felt a little sorry for the way they teased Jones in that moment. The bassist had been the one to be rushed to his home in his absence by their assistants when no one could rouse their late drummer and so he couldn't imagine just what was going through his head in the moments he was at the door desperately trying to get in. He gave him a look of apology and Jones waved him off, pulling up a chair close enough, yet far enough away to chat but not invade such personal space. Others might have thought to leave the room to let them get dressed before moving on but they had all gone through so much together that a little nudity was honestly nothing.

 

"So all of that aside...Might I ask why you're sitting there like this isn't a surprise to you?" Robert was curious because their friend seemed entirely too relaxed at what he saw.

"Oh please," John Paul laughed, shaking his head. This caused Robert to look at Jimmy, Jimmy at Robert, and the two of them back at their friend. "Wait...You honestly think we didn't know? Oh come on you two! You didn't find it suspicious that whenever you ducked out for whatever reason or excuse that we didn't know what was happening?" They shook their heads and John Paul laughed again. "Please..Bonz knew it first. He flat out looked at Grant and I after the first few times and brought us to sit in Jimmy's driveway to hear it for ourselves. He'd had a hunch that you two were 'going horseback riding' as he poetically referred to it. Honestly it was none of our business so long as you were both happy and the band wasn't affected. Hell, he thought Robert was going to file for divorce and sweep Princess Pagey up in his arms and carry him over the threshold if gay marriage ever became legalized."

By that point Robert was beside himself with laughter which Jimmy and John Paul both caught, the room echoing with the harmony of friends who hadn't been together in a non-performance setting in such a relaxed manner in years if not longer. Life was only going to be better from here. Jimmy was damn sure of it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this! :) It's been a long, long time since I've had the urge to write and this has been a great way of getting back into it.


End file.
